Drier.



PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

- A. G. SARGENT.

DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED Arm-11. 1907.

WITNESSES:

ATTORN Y5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLAN C. SARGENT, OF WESTFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO C. G. SARGENTSSONS, OF WESTFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

DRIER.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed April 11. 1907- Serial No. 367.509-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLAN C. SARGENT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Westford, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Drier, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for drying wool, cotton and similarmaterials.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a drier of thischaracter with an inner chamber which can be formed of substantiallyfire-proof material built in such a way that the parts thereof can bereadily removed, which may be of such form and construction that the aircurrents will be directed in such a way as to secure a maximum ofefficiency; to locate the driving fans and steam coils in such positionwith respect to each other and the inner drying chamber that the airwill pass through the coils and be distributed in a more uniform mannerthan has heretofore been the case and the coils will assist in heatingthe walls of the inner chamber; and to provide an improved manner ofcirculating the air which can be so regulated as to modify the directionof the air currents whenever desired.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line l1 of Fig.2. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view longitudinally through the shaftsof the fans of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an interior elevation of one of thesteam coils showing a draft fan in the rear, and Fig. 4 is a detailshowing one form in which the movable walls of the innor chamber can beconstructed.

The invention is illustrated as comprising an outer casing 10 in whichis located an inner drying chamber 11. This drying chamber is preferablyformed of two stationary side walls 12 extending through the length ofthe outer chamber and with stationary top and bottom walls or cleats 13.The members 12 and 13 have rab beted edges into which fit a plurality ofremovable metallic walls 14. These walls are shown as formed of sheetmetal with long slots 15, as is indicated in Fig. 4, but they may bemade of wire cloth, expanded metal, or any other metallic material whichwill permit air currents to pass through the chamber and will, at thesame time, protect the same from fire. In cases where the fireprotection is not desired, these walls may be made of other materialsthan metal. It will be seen that the walls slant inwardly from thesupporting membore 12. This is of some assistance in the circulation ofair, as the air entering the perforations is directed toward the centerof the chamber instead of being introduced parallel therewith. However,the shape of the chamber may be varied within wide limits within thescope of this invention,

' Within the chamber 11 is a platform 16 for supporting the wool orother material being dried. This platform may be stationary, but isshown as mounted on brackets 17 at the ends of the casing 10 on whichare rollers 18 on which the movable apron or platform is mounted.

In addition to the inner chamber 11, which has been described, anintermediate wall or partition 20 is provided surrounding the mainportion of the chamber 11 and spaced at some distance therefrom at eachside'so as to form two intermediate chambers 21 on the two sides of theinner drying chamber 11. These chambers 21, however, do not extend tothe ends of the outer casing 10 but are spaced therefrom so as toprovide passages 22 and 23 along the two ends of the casing and they arealso spaced from the side walls to provide side passages 24. I

The side walls 20 are provided with perforations 25 in which are locateddraft fans 26. These fans may either force air into the chamber 11 orexhaust it therefrom, the former construction being indicated. They aremounted on shafts 27 mounted in bearings on the outer casing and drivenin any desired way, preferably from the outside of the drier. It is tobe observed that they are located on opposite sides of the inner dryingchamber and force air in at opposite sides both at the top and bottomand that the air meeting thus in four currents near the center of thechamber will be forced along the chamber toward both ends thereof whereit can be discharged through the perforated walls into the end passages22 and 23. From these it may be passed into the side passages 24 andcirculated back through the fans into the chamber 11, but the side wallsof the casing are provided with passages 28 and 29 at one end of thedrier which are adapted to be closed by dampers 30 and 31.

' These dampers can be swung to the full or dotted line positions andthe circulation of the air will be varied accordingly, In the positionin which the dampers are indicated in full lines, the air from one sideand one end of the inner drying chamber will be discharged through theopenings 28, while that from the other side at the same end will beforced to circulate around again through the passage 24 and the opening25. If the dampers are changed to the dotted line position, the oppositecirculation will be necessary. Both dampers may be opened if it isdesired to discharge more air or if for a limited time it is desired tocirculate all the air back through the drier, both can be closed.

The air is admitted to the fans from the outside through openings 32controlled by slides 33 or the like. Heretofore, it has been customaryto provide steam coils somewhere in the current of air through the drierto heat the same. I have located thesteam coils inside the chambers 21and between the fans and the inner drying chamber 11 in order that theymay serve to heat the air immediately after it passes through the fansand have the additional function of assisting in spreading the air sothat it may strike the drying chamber in more uniform currents. It willbe observed that while the fans would tend to drive the air directlyinto the drying chamber, the steam coils located at this point assist inspreading the air out longitudinally so that part of it may bedischarged into the drying chamber from the ends of the coils.

It will be seen that by the construction of a drier in accordance withthe principles of this invention, whether in the particular form shownor not, an inner drying chamber can be made in such manner as to besubstantially fireproof; that it can be used either with a stationarydrying platform or a movable one in the form of an endless apron, asindicated; that the fans being located at'a distance from this chamberand separated from it by the drying coils, the air from them is directedagain st the perforated chamber in such a manner as to give a more evendistribution of the air and that the air when directed against theperforated walls, is broken up and distributed through the slots againstthe wool or cotton, both on the top and bottom without unduly agitatingor disturbing the distribution of the same on the platform. Moreover,the air is not only heated by the steam coils but they are locatedsufficiently near the metallic walls of the drying chamber to cause themto distribute more heat so that they themselves materially assist inkeeping the air hot to assist in drying the wool. Moreover, the airescapes from the'ends or sides of the interior casing and may beconducted back to the fans to be used over again as stated or bymanipulating the dampers, may be discharged from the machine. The airmay be either forced in or exhausted through the drying chamber as hasbeen stated.

While I have illustrated and described a particular form in which Iprefer to embody the invention, I am aware that modifications may bemade therein without departing from the scope of the same as expressedin the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particularform shown, but

What I do claim is 1. A drier having an inner metallic casing and adrying platform therein, said casing having openings both above andbelow said platform whereby the air is admitted on both sides of theplatform.

2. A drier comprising a drying platform, and a chamber in which it islocated, said chamber having a plurality of removable perforated walls.

3. A drier comprising a drying platform, and a chamber in which it islocated, said chamber having four removable perforated metallic walls,two of said walls constituting each side of the chamber.

4. A drier comprising a drying platform, and a chamber in which it islocated, said chamber having two side walls and four perforated wallshaving their edges resting against the two side walls and slantinginwardly there from, and means for causing air to pass through saidperforated walls.

5. A drier having an inner metallic casing and a drying platformtherein, said casing having openings both above and below said platformwhereby the air is admitted on both sides of the platform, and fans forcausing air to pass through said openings located above and below theplat form and on each side thereof.

G. In a drier, the combination of an inner drying chamber, a dryingplatform therein, said chamber having perforations both above and belowthe platform, and draft fans located on opposite sides of the chamber,each of said fans extending both above and below the platform, where bycurrents of air will be driven into the chamber on both sides of theplatform.

7. In a drier, the combination of an inner drying chamber, a dryingplatform therein, said chamber having perforations both above and belowthe platform, draft fans located on opposite sides of the chamber, eachof said fans extending both above and below the platform, wherebycurrents of air will be driven into the chamber on both sides of theplatform, and steam coils located between each fan and the adjacentwalls of the chamber whereby the steam coils will serve to heat thecurrents of air and also to heat the chamber.

8. In a drier, the combination of a drying chamber, a platform therein,said chamber having perforations through its walls both above and belowthe platform, an outer casing in which said casing is located, anintermediate wall or partition forming a chamber between the in nerchamber and the outer casing, said intermediate wall having aperforation, a fan located adjacent to said perforation, and steam pipeslocated in said intermediate chamber.

F). in a drier, the combination of an outer casing, an inner dryingchamber, an intermediate wall forming an intermediate chamber betweenthe drying chamber and the outer casing, steam pipes locatedlongitudinally in said intermediate chamber substantially throughout theheight thereof, and means for forcing air between said steam pipes intothe drying chamber, whereby said steam pipes act to spread, distributeand heat the air before it enters the drying chamber.

10. In a drier, the combination of an outer casing, an inner dryingchamber, a platform therein, an intermediate wall forming anintermediate chamber between the drying chamber and the outer casing,steam pipes located from the bottom to the top o'f the intermediatechamber and spaced from each other, and means for forcing air betweensaid steam pipes into the drying chamber both above and below saidplatform.

11. In drier, the combination of an outer casing, an inner dryingchamber, an intermediate wall forming two intermediate chambers one oneach side of the drying chamber, said intermediate chambers extendingthroughout apart of the length of the drying chamber, steam coils withinsaid intermediate chamber and extending sub stantially the entire lengththereof adjacentto the walls of the inner chamber, and means for forcingair between said steam pipes into said inner chamber.

12. Inn drier, the combination of an outer casing, an inner dryingchamber extending throughout the length thereof and having intermediatewalls or partitions forming an intermediate chamber along the side ofsaid inner chamber throughout a part of the length thereof, saidintermediate walls being spaced from the outer casing to form a sidepassage and an end passage, and means for forcing air through the sidewalls of the intermediate chamber and the side wall of the inner chamberand along the inner chamber in both directions to the ends thereof,,whereby it will be discharged, said end passages communicating with theside passages whereby the air may be forced from the side passages backthrough the inner chamber.

13. In a drier, the combination of an outer casing hav ing inletpassages in its side wall and outlet passages near the end, anintermediate wall or partition located within said chamber and spacedtherefrom at the sides and ends to form side passages and end passages,and an inner drying chamber having perforated walls extending throughthe intermediate walls from end to end of the outer casing, saidperforations communicating with the end passages and with anintermediate chamber formed by the intermediate wall, the side walls ofthe outer casing having means for admitting air, the intermediate sideWalls having perforations to admit the air from the outsidetherethrough, and the outer casing being provided with dampers wherebythe outlet passages may be closed or the connection between the side andend passages may be closed to control the circulation of air.

14. A drier for wool and the like having an outer casing, an innerdrying chamber extending throughout the 10 length of the outer casing,and intermediate walls ex 1 tending part way along the sides of theinner chamber forming intermediate chambers spaced at their sides andALLAN C. SARGENT.

Witnesses:

F. G. SARGENT, CHAS. G. SARGnN'r.

